


Part of Your World

by PrinnPrick



Series: Disney Classic AU [1]
Category: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Kingdom Hearts, The Little Mermaid (1989)
Genre: AU, Action/Adventure, Cheesiness, Drama, Falling In Love, Fantasy, First Love, Homosexuality, Love, Love at First Sight, M/M, Magical Realism, Male Homosexuality, Mentions of Character Death, Mentions of Violence, Mermaids, Mild Humor, Non-Graphic Violence, Romance, Singing, Slash, alternative universe, indication of violence, mild realism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-01-23 04:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18541939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinnPrick/pseuds/PrinnPrick
Summary: Sora is a young mermaid in search of adventure.Cloud is the only prince of Atlantis who seeks his freedom.Leon is a half-breed hunter and seeker/curator of rare human artifacts.Riku is the human prince of a small, but prosperous kingdom.And Ultimecia is the one who will attempt to tear them apart.AThe Little Mermaid/Kingdom Hearts/Final FantasyAU story.





	1. Children Will Play

**Author's Note:**

> I am transferring this over from my fanfiction.net account, which means it will edited as the chapters come through so it could take a hot minute. 
> 
> Originally, I had added notes about certain concepts I had used in the chapters that I felt would be awkward to explain in the story, but I really feel like as I'm re-reading the chapters that a lot of them could either be looked up or it could be easily deduced as to what they do, mean, or represent. So, I'm going to avoid those as much as possible...
> 
> Now without further ado, please enjoy some old school Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts mash-up.

It was a lovely, warm, ordinary beyond words kind of day. The sun was shining brightly over tropical waves that glittered like diamonds and not a single cloud was in sight. The wind was a gentle breeze above the ocean and down below each little creature was lazily going about its way. Perfect conditions for a young merpup, who had snuck out without permission, to go exploring.

He brushed his bottle-blue tail across the dusty sands of the reef's floor as he swam between coral and anemone alike--dodging fish, crabs, and even an eel. He wasn't very big (only about twenty cycles old), but what he didn't have in size he made up for in ~~curiosity~~ "bravery". This courageous little soul was in search of something new; something that would catch his eye and keep his attention, for at least the duration of more than five minutes. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue... But today's search had so far proven fruitless. It had been a boring sneak-out, though as per usual his surroundings were gorgeous: there were rainbow corals and shiny stones and even a large, yellow clam that had opened just enough to display its lovely pearl sitting so protectively upon its tongue. 

His adventures were always beautiful... But boring. Dreadfully boring. Nothing new or strange ever seemed to happen. That was, until a great shadow suddenly overtook the reef. It was so huge it seemed to blot out not only the light above but the usually vibrant colors around him.

The little mer looked up toward the shadow and at first thought it strange a whale of that size would come so close to the shore, but it did not move like a whale and lacked any fins. It had been drifting over so silently the boy hadn't an inkling it was there until it had eclipsed the sun. He tilted his head and gently pressed the end of his tail to the ground to slowly propel himself upward. The boy drifted toward the surface, swaying back and forth as he ascended.

Most merpeople were skittish by nature. It was a natural survival instinct that pups often lacked to some degree, but this one in particular was a swimming death wish waiting to happen. At first when he saw the Big Thing he had almost been afraid, but when it did nothing even as he grew closer and closer to it (no turning, no sounds, no obvious reaction) the boy only grew more excited. However, something stopped him mid-swim. There was a sound vibrating in the water that he had never heard before... almost like thunder, but it hit his nerves in a way thunder never had. The Big Thing had suddenly _creaked_. He dashed sharply to the left into an over-hanging rock covered in algae and terrified blooms that shrunk away as he so suddenly disturbed the water.

But still... Whatever the Big Thing was didn't seem interested in him. It just kept floating away, and there had been plenty of time to notice the boy, too. He hadn't been particularly careful with staying hidden, after all. The brunette pup peeked out from the crack of the rock he had expertly wiggled himself into and stared with a frown. It felt safe enough, so he drifted toward the surface once more and squinted his eyes. The Big Thing didn't seem to have scales... No scales, no obvious gills, no fins, no sealife on its belly--not even barnacles, but it was gliding so smoothly and cut through the water as easily as the boy could wave his hands. 

Eventually, the boy was forced to stop swimming after the Big Thing as he finally reached deeper waters. The edge of the coral reef where the underwater cliffs dropped off into darkness and the sharks swam. However, as he looked up and saw it (whatever it was) escape the mer felt an odd emptiness in his chest, as if he had lost a great opportunity. He was tempted to chase after it anyway--explore its surface, touch its skin, and maybe even feed it if it ate like whales. It had been such a long time, especially in his young mind, since something new was around! 

The brunette mer pouted sadly and held both of his hands out with his fingers and arms stretched to their limits, as if he could call the Big Thing back to him. But it wasn't any use as it continued on its way toward the horizon--toward the sun. The boy sighed deeply and dropped his arms back to his sides. He watched and waited until it was no more than a dot.

However, before his melancholy could set in as the brunette continued to stare and wish and regret... there was a loud, angry voice calling his name.

"SORA! When I find you I'm twisting your tail!"

Sora nearly screamed. The voice wasn't that far. He zoomed away from the drop-off and slithered back from the cliffs and into safe waters as fast as he could. He couldn't manage to avoid every coral tree he was such a flash of movement and yelped as his shoulder knocked into the side of a pink branch. His shoulder turned red immediately.

"Sora!" The voice called again and the brunette suddenly found himself being forcibly turned around. Another merboy, a much older mer of about sixty cycles, with wild brown hair and sharp blue eyes glared down at him. There was a pouch hanging over his shoulder that he immediately dug through with his free hand until he pulled out what appeared to be thick seaweed and carefully wrapped it around Sora's shoulder. "You need to be more careful. What if there was a barracuda or a shark? You're bleeding!"

"Well, you made me panic! And it's only a little--just a scratch!" Sora cried back. "Calling out threats all angry..."

"Of course I did, you sneaky little slug! Mom and dad are looking for you, too. You had them worried-- **again**! Do you _want_ to end up as fishbait?"

"Your face is fishbait," Sora muttered.

"It's dangerous to go out on your own like this! Why can't that penetrate your thick skull?"

"Who cares about danger anyway? I'm Sora! Bravest in the sea!" Sora puffed his adolescent chest out.

The other mer smacked Sora across the back of his head, just before he pulled the boy into a secure, bone-crushing hug.

"It's shark season, Sora... I was really, really worried..."

"I'm sorry, Leon," Sora gasped out as he was squeezed. He was about to struggle against his brother's tight bind before his ribs really did break, but then... He paused as he could feel the other trembling, even if it was only a little. _He really was scared... Leon doesn't shake like this unless he's stressed out,_ Sora thought as he moved his arms as much as he could and returned the hug. He could feel guilt wash into his insides like a sudden, hot flood. "Really, I'm sorry. I won't again, I promise..."

"You always say that, and you always do this again the next day... Do we have to tie you to an anchor?"

Leon kept a tight grip on Sora's wrist as the hug broke. He began to drag the smaller brunette away from the reef, opposite of the drop-off. Sora didn't struggle since he knew it was useless.

Leon's tail was nothing like Sora's. Sora's was blue and his fins were curved at their tips, but Leon's tail was black with a white belly. They had the same blue eyes, the same olive skin, the same hair... Sora often wondered why their tails were different, but never asked (well, he had asked once and was told sternly never to bring it up again). The tiny mer was dragged along as his brother expertly flapped his tail--avoiding their surroundings easily without being too close to the surface, which might have made navigating a little easier. Sora turned his free hand, so tiny in comparison to Leon's, and grasped at his brother's dark dorsal fin.

"Can I ride your back home?"

Leon twitched as his dorsal fin was touched. He turned to look at Sora, who widened his eyes as much as he could to look as pathetic as possible, and sighed. He released the boy's hand.

"Only if you hang on properly. I don't want you falling off again."

Sora yipped and immediately grasped Leon's fin tight. The older brunette kicked his tail and down an old, familiar path they went--zooming so fast Sora could feel his skin move around on his face. He laughed in delight and hugged his brother's fin tighter.

It wasn't long before they had passed the reef and Leon was slowing down. He was gliding into a tiny village with holes in the rock big enough to allow large fish and mers to pass through and a cavern filled with soft, twinkling lights just at its edge. As they arrived they could see other merpeople swimming around--some waved in greeting.

Leon eventually stopped before they were too deep into the village and turned to Sora.

"Look," Leon began and Sora sighed. He knew a lecture when he saw one. "You may not see this as a big deal, but..." Leon went silent, let out the most frustrated sounding sigh, and looked away.

"I know it's a big deal--"

"No, you don't!" Leon snapped so suddenly, so scarily that Sora jumped. "You clearly don't or you wouldn't run off like that! You really don't get it, do you?! There... There... may not be anyone here for you tomorrow..."

"... What? Why not?"

"Because the sea can swallow up everyone you love at any time."

"I... I know that--"

"You never suspect it, either. And you never get all the chances you wish you had for spending time with them back."

"I know that!"

"It happened to me, Sora," Leon rubbed his face. "It happened to me and it _can_ happen to you. Every family goes through at least one loss every few cycles. It's unpredictable. One second you're being cradled by your mother and the next she's... she's nothing more than..."

"Leon..." Sora whispered as he watched his brother struggle and trail off. He floated in a little closer and lifted a hand to touch Leon's shoulder. "Is that why our tails are different? You had a different mommy...?"

Leon breathed deeply and then nodded.

"..." Sora jumped forward to hug his brother's neck. "I'm sorry... I'm really, really sorry... I won't anymore, I promise."

"We can go exploring sometime. Together. Okay?" Leon rubbed the tiny mer's back. "But not during shark season and never alone ever again, okay?"

"Okay."


	2. Morning Traffic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So, I just want to remind everyone ahead of time this is a fantasy story based off a Disney story. Some things may make more sense than others.

"Oh, look! It's that nice dolphin boy," greeted an older, wrinkly mermaid with a head of scraggly white hair. She waved as Sora swam past her.

"Good morning!" Sora returned as he rolled onto his back and wrapped his arms under his head. The sky wasn’t visible from where he swam so it was impossible to know what the weather was like, but Sora could imagine the sun was bright and the sky was cloudless and the breeze was soft and warm. Like it was every day before he couldn't see it anymore. He floated casually across the ocean floor with his dorsal fin barely grazing the stone below him every now and then.

Stone... It still felt strange to be surrounded entirely by rocks and hardly any sand or coral these days. Sand was where his old home was, where his brother explored for his work, and where all the forbidden areas were. Coral was where the bright flowers bloomed and the glittering fish danced. It had been a while since Sora had been able to dig into sand and hunt for crabs or hide under the cool grains on a hot day. Even longer since he had grazed his tail on a branch or got to count the little holes where tinier fish homed. A long while. Certainly, one would come across sand at least in small piles every now and then but it was rare.

Sora had just turned seventy-two cycles. For at least forty of those the brunette had lived in the depths, far past the drop off cliffs he was once forbidden to pass. Here, there were no villages or tiny families, but instead a large kingdom that encompassed everyone far below the reef with a glorious castle in the middle of a giant cluster of homes that was always glowing. There were bioluminescent marks and signs and glowing rocks everywhere to light their way, and large armies of jellyfish with glittering tails that acted like floating lanterns whenever they passed through. It was never as bright or as pretty as sunlight, though.

Eventually, his view of open rock and foggy waters was obscured by tails, many tails. Merpeople swimming back and forth around and over each other like a large, unorganized school of fish. Normally the morning traffic wasn't so hectic but—

"Did you get the food for the buffet after?"

"Were the instruments set up?"

"When will the singers arrive?"

"Watch your tail there! This banner is for the stage!"

"Paints? Paints? You forgot the paints?!"

Everyone was in a panic that day. Hundreds of merpeople scrambling around and yelling at each other and knocking into things or breaking others... Sora breathed a long, slow sigh as he recalled the easy, do-nothing days of his childhood. 

Sora flipped onto his stomach in case he ran into something or someone himself. Normally, it wouldn't be an issue... but with the crowd this high-strung Sora was liable to lose an eye should he so much as accidentally graze the wrong basket. He stayed near the bottom where there were a lot less bodies to collide with.

"Hey, Sora!" The brunette blinked and turned his gaze just a level upward to see a male with the spikiest red-hair approach.

"Oh, Axel... Hey."

"Well, that's certainly an enthusiastic greeting," Axel said sarcastically as he came to swim beside the dolphin. The red-head had scars under his eyes that looked almost purposeful they were so similar, a long torso that matched his long, black tail, and blood-red fins. His skin, despite his dark tail, was almost glowing it was so pale. And unlike many of the mers who scrambled around them when Axel smiled his teeth were mildly sharper.

"Sorry, I'm tired," Sora bumped into his friend playfully. "I guess I was more nervous about singing at today's presentation than I thought."

Axel yawned wide in return. "I know that feel... The tired one, I mean--not the nervous one. To me, this is just like every other performance we've done over the years. Who cares if it's for some prince?"

"Then why are you so tired? Was it Roxas?"

Axel cackled at that.

"I didn't mean it like that, you weirdo," Sora rolled his eyes. "I just mean Roxas is never _not_ tired and you two spend a lot of time together..." Sora grinned mischievously and quirked a playful brow. "Speaking of which, when are you going to offer yourself to him? We're that age now!"

Axel huffed. "Oh yeah? And when are you going to do more than stutter around a mer you like?"

"I do not stutter!"

"Oh, h-hi, T-Tidus! You li-like to play, um... games?" Axel mocked, which earned him a smack of Sora's tail to his back and a yelp. "Good thing you got over that crush either way. Tidus is a loser."

"Don't be mean. He's not a loser, he's just often lost. But that's what he has Yuna for now."

"Well, to answer your other question," Axel shook his head, "I wasn't even with Roxas last night. He said I make it difficult for him to get up on time and you know what the lead said if we were late today."

It was Sora's turn to chuckle.

"I didn't mean it like that! Who's the weirdo now?"

"So I guess he'll be there when we are, then?"

"Unless he was held up by something."

The two traveled together underneath the harried crowd above in relative silence until they came closer to the palace. The castle itself was a humongous structure of pillars, gates, and towers that glowed as bright as a beacon and near the entrance where the myriad of mers finally thinned there was a large pile of rocks pressed tight together with flat tops. Beside that was what seemed to be a gigantic stage with various shells big enough to swallow Sora whole and colorful plants strategically placed between. Upon one of the rocks sat a blonde leaning back on his hands as he flipped the end of his green tail back and forth idly.

”Rooooooxas~!” Sora sang as they approached and grinned as the blond on the rock turned his head up and waved in greeting.

”How long have you been here?” Axel asked as he settled beside Roxas. 

”Not long, I think. I took a nap when I arrived.”

Sora chuckled. “Have you seen anyone else yet?” He asked as he sat on the other side of the blonde from Axel. “I’m surprised the leader isn’t here yet. He’s so crazy about perfection...”

”He’s here,” Roxas assured as he casually leaned into Axel and yawned so wide Sora wondered why he didn’t break his jaw. “He went to go yell at someone.”

”Of course.”

They spent a few sleepy moments together just breathing the morning water. Other mers about their age and younger began to appear in droves until all three hundred seats in the rock stands were filled. Sora turned to look where the audience would be, which was a great dug out with plenty of space for the thousands of people that would come for the show. He then looked over to the other side of the great stage where a balcony of shells and a curtain made of purple seaweed sat high above everything else but well within sight.

When the leader finally arrived, they went straight into practice for that night’s events. Sora wondered as he worked his voice, once used for humming his own songs, if his brother might come this time... though he doubted it.


	3. The Great Reveal

The dim light of the surface had disappeared at last and was replaced by the great glow of the spiraling castle behind where the show would commence. The stage now had a giant curtain of seaweed, colorful stones, and shells to hide the giant clams. All three hundred mers meant for the chorus on the side were present and sat in anticipation while a crowd was being herded in to enjoy that night’s entertainment.

The singers had been made to practice for months, hours upon hours at a time, just for tonight. Each person, no matter how small or what status, had a purpose here in the kingdom—and once that purpose was assigned it was taken as seriously as death... by most. Sora still did not understand why singing had to be “job”. That killed some of the joy singing was meant to bring when it was made to be a life-long chore. His brother was supposed to be a palace guard, but he had chosen his own path. If it did not benefit the king and the people so much better than Guard Duty the king may have tried to wrangle him in and force Leon into his position ( _As if that would have worked_ , Sora snorted.).

Sora looked up from his seat to the balcony above, which sat the gruff-looking king and his lovely wife—both blonde. His wife was the second queen as the first had died some time ago, or so Roxas had mentioned when he leaned over and whispered into the brunette's curious ear... It was Sora’s first time seeing the King and Queen as they usually did not attend shows. _I guess even royalty isn’t immune to loss, either._

The king stood and the multitude of excited voices immediately hushed. All eyes turned to the balcony.

"I'm King Cid for those who don't know me. As ya'll know," Sora did his best not to react as the king began to speak. He had expected more elegant language, but considering the king had a buzz cut and seemed to be chewing some sort of urchin needle, perhaps this wasn't so strange? "It is customary not to introduce the kids until the heir has come of age 'cause of safety reasons. But in just a couple years my son will be old enough to start the change from prince to king, so it's time now. Got it? Enjoy."

That was that, apparently, as King Cid sat back down and the lights lowered until only the stage was left lit. Sora shrugged. It was straight, to the point, and quick, at least.

No one knew what the royal siblings looked like or even how many there were. They were never allowed to leave the castle, which seemed like a sad, trapped life to Sora. Even if he didn't have the wonders of his old home anymore he still had the ability to go exploring, to meet new mers, to dance with the plain, blue fish or chase dolphins... To be stuck in what looked like something so small now as he stared upon the palace was very claustrophobic and limited. But he understood why they felt the need to cage the royal brood... More than once Sora heard other mers murmuring (not many, but enough) about how unnecessary a king or queen was--that being ruled over and given "jobs" destroyed the freedom of the Sea rightfully given to all. Yet, no one could propose a better idea for survival and safety, which had become a worsening issue even since Sora moved here as larger sharks began to swim closer to the shore and Humans posed a greater threat every day.

Having a place that was safe also meant cooperation from everyone. Not every mer could be a hunter, a basket weaver, a guard... The children needed stability and looking after, the barrier needed to be strengthened often, and the elderly were slow. Some rules or conditions made more sense than others, of course, and Sora supposed he could understand wanting all mers to contribute somehow... Singing made others happy and kept their spirits up. But it still felt like they were being canned in.

At least there hadn't been anyone abusive among the royals. No one could recall in the last few thousand cycles a toxic leader. People weren't enslaved (technically) nor treated like garbage, but neither were they left satisfied. Sora shook his head before his thoughts could continue to circle each other around and frustrate him. Now was the time to focus.

Sora didn't have the chance to think any further as the trumpeters went off. They swam together to the middle of the curtain and played their loud horns in anticipation of the show, before lowering their instruments and grabbed one half of the curtains each. They swam in opposite directions and revealed the small group of mer sized, colorful clams--the largest one sat in the middle on a tier high above the others. Sora and the rest of the singers opened their mouths and let out a beautiful string of notes in perfect unison as they lifted their left hands to present the clams as the curtains were pulled.

Once the curtains had been tied, the singing that had been rising slowly died to nothing. There was a moment of silence, then--

_"Siblings of the sea,_  
_Blessed be that we have thee._  
_Children of the water,_  
_And our king."_

Sang the far right end first, which were the Sopranos. Mostly women.

_"The Seas roar for you..._  
_The rocks roll for you..._  
_The lights are for you..._  
_The people are for you!"_

Quipped the middle, where Sora and Roxas sat--the mezzo-sopranos.

Most of the choir would stay in their seats, but for those with more exotic or flashy tails. Those "lucky few" were required to swim as they sang following after a designated lead swimmer in intricate circles around the stage and over the crowd. One with a large, black and white tail and many fins spread their tail out and lifted their arms over their head in a flourish before dashing away. Another with the end of an eel that had would flash light in their fins in the darkness slithered in the water overhead like a snake. There was a small parade of tails until, at last, they were allowed to sit again. None of them seemed terribly happy about being made to display themselves as they did. Sora didn't blame them... He was the only one in the whole kingdom with a dolphin tail. If it had been a brighter color he might have been forced to dance, too, and though he loved to entertain for fun that seemed too much like putting the "different" mers on display. Like they weren't real people.

_"Siblings of the sea,_  
_Blessed be that we have thee._  
_Children of the water,_  
_And our king."_  


Ended the deepest where Axel sat--the Altos.

Behind the chorus came the soft rumbling of horns and drums and all at once the entire chorus sang as one once again.

_"Terra~!"_

A clam stage right began to open with a flurry of bubbles and the oldest swam out; a young woman who appeared to be at least in her eightieth cycle. She had long, wild, sea-weed green hair held back by a coral barrette. She swam out to the middle of the stage using her brightly iridescent tail. The first thing she did was make a sharp flip backwards, causing her tail to suddenly burst open like a dress revealing many shells and stones dangling around her waist.

_"Larxene~!"_

A second young lady with bug-like hair appeared from a yellow clam stage left. Like the dancers had, she didn't seem too enthusiastic about the whole affair. She frowned and showed no enthusiasm for the celebration as she swam until she reached Terra. The blond fish smirked, swimming quickly in front of her older sister with her arms behind her back. She gave a twist and a peacock-esque display of anemone flowers and feathers behind her burst out--nearly hitting Terra in the face. The elder sibling rolled her eyes and swam to float beside Larxene.

_"Kairi~!"_

The next princess swam out from a pearly white clam and caused the crowd to gasp. She was pink; completely pink beyond her eyes. Even her skin seemed to glow a light, opalescent pink. Her eyes were purple, her tail was glittering, and her hair was nearly maroon in color. Some of the people in the crowd looked to each other in shock, wondering if she had been colored that way for the show. Her trick was to fly about her sisters in a playful circle, and then have her hair burst upward with a crown of corals.

 _I wonder why everyone seems so... surprised? She's pink, so what?_ Sora had just enough time and brain power to wonder as they sang for the next princess.

_"Namine~!"_

The youngest of the siblings came flying shyly forth. Her tail was a bright banana yellow, her hair nearly white blond, and her fins were thin and cloth-like. She swam, not to her sisters, but instead to the crowd. In her arms suddenly blossomed many flowers, which she threw to the crowd.

Sora chortled as the crowd became a frenzy over the flowers, but he supposed it was understandable. He himself might be excited to grab a few if he weren't in the choir. Even in the colorful world he came from those flowers were the prettiest he had ever seen. "What are those flowers called again?" He whispered to Roxas while he had the chance.

"Royal Sun Spots," Roxas whispered back to Sora's quiet question. "So called because they look like the sun. Apparently."

"I hate that they only grow in the palace," Sora pouted as he eyed the flowers with clear longing. The chorus and the crowd went quiet as the princesses lined up at the end of the stage and lifted their arms up toward the final clam. Bubbles sprayed into the dug-out and across the floor of the raised platform. The royal girls began to sing together.

_"Now the time has come,_  
_What you are here to see~!_  
_Son of the king,_  
_And the only heir to be~!_  
_We introduce to you so proud,_  
_Our dear brother Cl--!"_

Everything stopped in that instant. The girls broke off with sharp gasps. The large shell had opened slowly with another flurry of suds as the girls sang their song and swam in unison around the clam... but there was nothing. Not even a sign that something, or someone, had been sitting there in wait. The final sibling and only heir to Atlantis was gone and somehow no one had noticed he had not been set up in the clam or was missing.

Namine instinctively gripped Kairi's hand and squeezed it. Kairi sighed, rolled her eyes, and pulled Namine into a comforting hug.

The only sound in the horrified silence was when the eldest princess said, "Typical," in her flattest voice. She winced as the king screamed his lungs out at the servants to find the prince.

Larxene just laughed. Really hard. So much, in fact, she fell to the stage in a fit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first time I wrote this it was kind of embarrassing for me. The lyrics are just so bad, but I chose not to change them anyway (cuz am lazy). I hope they aren’t too cringe worthy to you readers!


	4. Shark Attack

The Calm Depths were nothing like their name at all. It was a collection of twisting caverns that led to different places all around the outskirts of the kingdom; ravaged constantly by a rough, spinning torrent as powerful as a tornado. It was far too easy to injure (or kill) one's self if a mer did not have the ability to swim against the current and without knowing the layout of the Depths could become lost in dangerous waters, which is why the kingdom banned mers from traversing it. 

Cloud was not just any mer, however. He was strong, muscular, and his tail was thick and had cartilage ribbed fins that were perfect for propelling himself where he needed. He had sharp, ice-blue eyes, cream colored skin, and spiked blonde hair--one spike was particularly large and, even in the Depths, somehow stuck up high like a shard in one direction as if attracted to a magnet. He was hansom, but inside the castle that was nothing new--nearly all of his family was. And Cloud hadn't had the chance to interact with too many people outside of his home (due to his over-bearing mother and father's strict rules)... which is why he chose to face the life-risking maw of the Depths, despite the law. Dealing with the same people, the same enclosed environment, and the same routine (because there was very little to do) was annoying. Maddening, even. Absolutely, positively, so beyond words _frustrating._ Sometimes Cloud literally beat against the walls to relieve stress.

So, as a way to relieve the tension that would build in every fiber of his being, Cloud would escape at any given opportunity. He would swim far away from his home, from the people, and from anywhere he might get caught--and the Depths were a place even his tough, military father would avoid. The travel was a draining process, but even that exercise felt amazing. The adrenaline that came with knowing he could easily go off course or suddenly stop flapping his fins and _die_ by being smashed against the rock was almost an addiction. 

Today was another lucky one, though, and he had found a tunnel he hadn't yet explored; two wins in one. This led to a huge, open space between mountainous cliffs with a view almost clear enough to see the sun. There were several small shipwrecks (rowboats and sailboats), one dining vessel, and a pirate ship littering the ground. The floor was covered in sand, absolutely flooded with sparkling, white grains--a rare sight to behold. Cloud hadn't encountered sand too often, except in small piles or dusted lightly over the rocks where the human boats would cross. The first thing he did before exploring was scuttle into the sand and roll about until he was covered, which turned out to not only be fun to do but the sand was cool and brought a welcome reprieve to his tired muscles. It was almost as comfortable as sleeping in his clam back home and the blonde nearly took a nap right then and there. Once he was finally satisfied, he shook himself off and swam to the nearest drowned boat.

And Cloud did know what these vessels were; the royal historians were excellent at their jobs (however they did them) and were able to capture some of the vocabulary of humans. The blonde knew what ships, harpoons, anchors, planks, barrels, and sails were and what they did. Unfortunately, much of what went on land was still a mystery.

The blonde eventually made his way to the biggest boat; the ship with the black sails depicting crossbones that sat broken nearly in half in the middle. There were several chests inside that had rotted with time filled with gold coins, jewels, crowns, jewelry, and even a diamond encrusted dagger... But other than being shiny, they weren't that interesting. Cloud had found several of each before (except the dagger, which he was interested in at first... but the blade was dull). Nothing he could make use of. The sails were unique, however, and he chose to stuff one of the smaller ones that had hung from a post into his makeshift bag; a sack he had fashioned from other bits of cloth he had found and sewn together with seaweed thread and a blow-fish quill. 

One massive chest that heightened Cloud’s curiosity caught his eye, but unlike the others that had eroded this lock was still solid. Cloud found he couldn’t jerk it open, either. So, he found a large rock nearby and beat against the latch until it finally broke open... but alas. More junk. There had been a necklace he sort of liked, but it was so long it’d only be a hindrance. He slammed the lid of the chest down hard. It was only a little satisfying.

"Another day, another fai--Huh...?"

Cloud was just about to give up for the day when he saw it... something glinting near the rear windows. There was an uncommon ray of sunlight piercing through that just happened to catch the edge of something small and silver. It lured Cloud over, teasing his senses and demanding attention. The blonde swam closer to the windows to inspect the object; he arched his body toward the floor and picked up what turned out to be lightweight and metal. It had a curved handle and a pronged head, with one silver leg bent at an awkward angle. Cloud attempted to fix the piece back into place to match the others... and he did. He had expected it to either break right off or be too stubborn to move, but the little piece turned out to be somewhat malleable. Cloud smiled in approval.

 _It kind of reminds me of a... Hmm..._ Cloud decided to put it away in his sack for experimenting later. The waters were shifting until Cloud could feel a cold rush, meaning it was growing late.

A shadow passed by the windows. Cloud turned to look... but there was nothing there. He stared out the glass of the large, arched windows a moment longer without moving a single muscle. Yet, nothing. And there wasn't anything obvious outside, either. The blonde shrugged and turned away until his back was to the window in order to sort out his bag. There were some items from his last excursion he had forgotten to take out. This time, just as he was distracted, something large and gray swam silently past the windows. The blonde had heard it move, and as he turned to check again... he was met with the biggest throat he had ever seen in his life. Triangular, yellow teeth with the severed head of a fish still stuck between the rows met Cloud's blue eyes just before he jerked his tail in time to miss the rear of the ship being crushed. He scrambled up the stairs and out to the deck as quickly as he could, with the shark distractedly shaking wooden planks until it realized it had missed its quarry. Once on the outside, Cloud turned back to see what had attacked him: a great white shark, and it was fatter than usual.

"Watch out!"

 _You don't think I see it?!_ Cloud railed against the new voice as he darted away from another attempted bite. The blonde noticed one of the shark's eyes were missing, the left one. It looked like something, or someone, had somehow scratched that side of its face so heavily that there were only a patch of scar tissue where its eye-socket used to be.

Cloud immediately swam toward the Depths (the exit was far too small for the shark), but the gigantic carnivore was too fast. The blonde was forced to veer away or risk losing his head. Just as Cloud was quickly trying to think of a good place to hide or a crevice to swim into... another mer appeared, who zoomed past so quickly he was only a blur when Cloud first saw him.

The shark whipped about violently. The new mer had managed to knock a boulder onto its head and grabbed Cloud by the arm to shove him into a crack in the mountain wall. The new mer was... a huge male with a black and white tail.

 _Is he an Orca? I don't see a blow hole, though... And his dorsal fin seems too round._ Cloud wondered offhandedly as he watched the new mer swim away. He was almost twice Cloud's size and the look he shot Cloud (silently warning him to stay put) felt almost scarier than nearly being bitten.

"Here, fishy, fishy, fishy..." The Orca-breed called dangerously as he flew toward the shark.

"Are you stupid?!" Cloud cried, chasing after the brunette despite the warning. He could only figure the Orca was a hunter; the scars on his body, the build of his muscles, and the way he seemed so determined to kill the beast even at his own life's risk... A lot of youths lost their lives this way, thinking they could take on the "big fishes"; and though this man looked capable, Cloud wasn't one to let someone put themselves in that kind of trouble so easily. Cloud grabbed the large brunette by his arm, just as their attacker was finally shaking off the hit. It turned its shaded black eye on the youths with a snarl.

The brunette jerked his arm out of Cloud's hold. He turned steel-blue eyes on the blond and glared at him hard. He had a gash across his face, a very old scar that was close to his eye... Which only added to how piercing his gaze was. "Get out of here!" He growled fiercely.

Cloud glared back; his new found determination to save the "stupid" from themselves giving him courage. "Not without you!"

"You don't even know me."

"I don't care. Come on!"

"If I don't get rid of him now he'll attack other people!" As they argued, the thing lunged again--flying forward like a cannon ball. Its mouth was wide open with a bite large enough to swallow them both whole. The brunette grabbed onto Cloud's hand that still sat between them and thrust his powerful tail further into the ship graveyard. The brunette released Cloud once he began to swim at his pace, but even together they could do not but swim in circles around the edge--the stranger refusing to leave and Cloud refusing to leave without the stranger, even when they were both given the chance as they passed the Depths's entrance. 

"That's what the royal guard is for!"

"By the time the Royal Guard finally gets wind it'll be too late!"

They swam under and over the wreckage, doing whatever they could to slow down or throw the shark off as they yelled at each other--as if whoever was louder would win. The shark chased them, as expected, but it merely smashed through whatever got in its way. The brunette finally turned to take a good look at the shark, suddenly pulling Cloud toward the wall. "I have an idea."

"Is it as brilliant as your idea to charge it head on?" Cloud asked sarcastically, giving the brunette a flat look.

"That plan would have worked had someone not gotten in the way. It was too dizzy at the time to see me coming," he growled low, then shook his head. "It has only one eye, meaning it has bad depth perception. It wouldn't know how close it is to a wall--I doubt it even knows how far it is from us judging from how it keeps biting at the water between us."

"Oh!"

They swam a little more slowly toward the stone wall to ensure the shark was close behind them. They both split sharply in opposite directions just as the shark was about to reach them, which caused it to slam its nose. The blond swam left, the brunette went right... making the brunette the target in its line of vision. It took a few seconds to come back to its senses, but once the great white had (with a crooked snout now) it went straight for the more muscular swimmer.

Cloud stopped in his tracks when he realized he wasn't being followed. He had thought they would both veer left, since it was blind on that side, but of course the brunette put himself right in danger's way. Cloud began wracking his brain for a quick solution as he turned to watch the chaotic race. It was hard to think straight with so much adrenaline pumping through his system; he had never been so nervous and stressed in his life (not to mention very pissed off).

The prince looked away and turned to carefully observe their surroundings as quickly as he could, jerking his tail and shooting down toward an old anchor with only its stem and chain poking out of the ground. It was so large there was no way this shark could pick up such a weight. He doubted even a whale could handle something this heavy. He could only hope the ring was strong enough not to break when the shark would struggle furiously (and big/small enough in the first place to trap it).

"Over here!" Cloud called to his fellow merman, floating inside the iron ring and using both hands to wave the brunette over.

Without thinking or trying to understand, the hunter flew on instinct and swam to Cloud. He jumped through the ring and knocked right into Cloud as he swam through. The two of them fell into the sand.

A sound, like flesh being strangled with a thick rope, echoed through the water. The brunette, who laid curved on top of the prince, slowly moved his head to see what had happened. He blinked in surprise. The shark was stuck--its neck tightly jammed into the old ring.

"..." The hunter looked down at Cloud, who was relieved, and not just a little smug. They were both panting as they stared at on another. "Get that look off your face. He could still get free."

"You're welcome," Cloud stated with a flat tone and a glare, before shoving the brunette off. He floated upwards from the ground as he dusted his arms and tail off. There was a sting near his hip where a few scales had been ripped from his tail. He didn't bleed, at least, but it was raw. The brunette grabbed Cloud, rather boldly, by his waist to take a closer look. The blonde barely suppressed a gasp at suddenly being grabbed (no one had ever dared to grab him before!) and stiffened up under the brunette's hands.

"It must have been the fall," the brunette said regretfully. He turned away, but only one hand let go. Like the blonde, he had an old sack made of unwanted materials that seemed to carry a few small items. It didn't weigh him down, but was heavy enough not to simply float in the water. He reached his free hand in to look around for something. Cloud, meanwhile, didn't technically object to being grabbed, oddly enough. The brunette's hand was hot and caused the skin it touched to tingle; licks of what felt like electricity shot down the blonde's spine. However, he didn't want his reaction (any of them) to be obvious... so he crossed his arms and did his best to look bored, as if he hadn't almost died and the shark wasn't thrashing about just a few feet away. Cloud had noticed the bag, but didn't think much on it for the moment. He was feeling too disgruntled (and confused and oddly pleasured by that touch) to care.

The stranger pulled out a transparent... _something_. It looked like a gooey film and had a light lavender shade. Just a shred of something that the brunette placed over the Cloud's small wound. Only after the injury was sealed up with this odd jelly did the brunette finally let go.

"You're welcome," stated the hunter before Cloud could say a word. He moved to swim away while staring at the still snapping monster. The thing was twisting around and slapping its tail against the sand. But to no avail, thankfully.

"If you don't like violence I suggest you leave."

"Are you that desperate for a profit...?" Cloud asked, turning away with a mental huff. All this frustration just to catch the King's attention.

"A... profit?"

"Yes. Don't large fish like these help you get noticed?"

"I don't do it for the attention." This man had an unwavering, clear gaze (that again sent shivers down Cloud's spine) and spoke in such a sincere way that he could only be telling the truth... or he was the world's best liar. "But you can believe whatever you want. Just leave." The latter command was given with a harsh delivery. He swam about the floor, leaving the anchored and angry shark behind. The brunette searched through a pile of glass near the dining vessel until he found a shard as long as half his arm and just thin enough to fit into both his hands. He picked it up, examining it with a critical eye. "Looks strong enough. It should at least do some damage..." The stranger murmured to himself.

Cloud wouldn't (couldn't) leave, though--not just yet. Instead, he followed the brunette.

"... What's your name?" He decided to ask now that he was calmer. After so much excitement, he even felt rather relaxed. He had been so angry at the brunette, but at the same time all that danger had been... fun. No matter how dumb the notion of near death being "fun" really was.

"... Leon." "Leon" stated simply, turning his cold eyes on Cloud again. Their gazes met for a second time, but it was oddly different from when they first glared hotly at each other. The brunette almost seemed friendly now. "Yours?"

Cloud had nearly stated his real name. He had opened his mouth, about to let his voice ring out into the waters, but then remembered that probably wasn't the best idea. He was the prince, after all, and there were those who might harm him for being so. Instead, he began to stammer, "M-My name is... is..." And before he could lie to his new companion with a made-up name, that was when something important hit. His eyes went wide with horror. 

"The concert!"

"... The what? Oh." Leon shook his head, slowly swimming around Cloud to move back to the shark. "You might as well not bother. By the time you get there, it'll probably be over." It seemed Leon assumed Cloud was just one of those excited spectators. The brunette himself didn't sound so enthused at the prospect of a concert of any kind.

Cloud sighed in dismay. "I... need to go anyway. I was suppose to meet someone there..." He grumbled, looking like he had eaten some bad krill.

"..." Leon watched the blond turn away, looking thoughtful. After a few seconds of Cloud floating away, possibly out of his life forever, he finally called out to him, "Thanks. That was... very clever. What you did." He had no idea what made him want to do that. He just felt like he should say something nice. There was an awkward frown on his face as he rubbed his neck uncomfortably.

Cloud turned back just in time to see it. Though Leon was somewhat grizzled and had lost his boyish looks long ago... he was somehow kind of cute just then. Like he forgot how to be nice but was trying hard anyway. The prince smiled and waved good bye before drifting off into the Calm Depths.

...

Leon turned back to his prey once he knew the blonde was gone. He turned the jagged shard around in his hands until it was positioned like a dagger. The blue in his eyes suddenly flooded with a blackness that spread from his pupils until he looked positively demonic. His teeth even seemed to become sharper as he bared them at the Great White, kicking back to the anchor with his new weapon like a dolphin.


	5. Spies Everywhere

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took a hot minute. I have the next one already in the works and will hopefully have that out sometime this week or the next, but don't quote me on it.
> 
> My work hours have been erratic (I also have two online jobs I use to pick up the slack, but they're time consuming and pay very little so I have to do a lot of each to make much) so between simply not having the time to write and edit I also haven't had much energy.

" **WHERE IN THE FORBIDDEN RAVINE WERE YOU** LEFT THE KINGDOM AGAIN DIDN'T YA **WHY WEREN'T YOU THERE** _SHOULD BEAT YA WITHIN AN INCH OF YOUR LIFE_ ARE STUCK INSIDE THIS CASTLE FOR THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS _SO HUMILIATING_ LITTLE PUNK--" So screamed the king at the top of his lungs; his cheeks were blotchy and red. Not a single person within ear's reach, and there were quite a few, could make out when a sentence began and when it ended. It was all just very furious rantings, right into the beautiful face of the forgetful young prince.

"Yes, father." Cloud would say to every other word (or was it a full sentence?) in a regretful tone as his majesty spoke.

"I know, father. Forgive me father. I am so sorry. Yes, I am the shame of the kingdom. Yes, I deserve to be beaten with a stick," It was almost robotic how he would state his apologies; nodding his head, looking stoic, and breathing sighs as discretely as possible. Tail down straight, spine up, shoulders back--just like a soldier.

The screaming had begun almost as soon as Cloud returned home, nearly an hour after the concert had ended in failure. An hour and some odd minutes since he left his new "friend" behind for what he suspected would be forever. There was an odd pinch in his stomach the more he came to realize what was certainly true--that he'd never lay his sky blue eyes on that bi-colored tail again. But that didn't matter now. What did matter was the fact that he had left his family and people to worry for his safety when he had suddenly disappeared.

Then again, maybe it was the sadness growing in the blond's eyes from his thoughts of Leon that caused the equally blond king to finally calm down. He huffed like an angry dog, and then stared with blaring nostrils down at his son from his throne. The king was a strong man with a barrel-shaped chest and a stout stomach. He had thick, trunk-like arms, a square head, roughly cut, spiked blond hair, and not an inch of soft skin or scale anywhere on his cache and yellow body. Rough, scarred, and often cynical.

"Why did ya miss the concert?" Was the first question he decided to ask in an even voice as he stared daggers at his own child.

"I honestly did not mean to," Cloud stated softly, calmly--staring at his father with the same eyes he inherited from him.

"How can ya 'not mean to'?" The king was not without an accent, a rather roguish one at that. It was a bit of common knowledge that the current king was not raised a royal fish, initially due to some issue with the blood line and a mistress. They hadn't wanted a war over who would be the next heir... But the sea cares not for rules, regulation, and blood lines and took the kingdom's first and second son--leaving Cid the only option. Even his kids knew he was actually raised by seaweed farmers on the far outskirts, as he reminded them often when they would complain of chores. Cid was from farther then anywhere Cloud had been... Knowing his father had seen and done so much more than the castle could offer only fueled his wander lust.

"I... lost track of the day." It was an honest answer, and he was certain Cid could recognize that. Cloud wasn't a good liar (though, he did omit certain details--like being attacked by a shark and meeting a beautiful orca merman). "I really didn't mean to."

"..."

"..."

"Ya left again, didn't'cha?" The king concluded at last, eyes narrowing. He had an expression that plainly said how annoyed he was this happened so often.

"..."

"Guards!" His majesty called out as silence became his answer, and immediately a small rabble of thick tailed men were at the ready. Two floating beside the throne where the king sat and three around the shamed prince. "Take'em to his room. Lock'em up. No one leaves and no one enters without direct say so."

Cloud jerked his head up. He had expected a lot of yelling, maybe a smack to his head, or even a wrestling match on the floor--like what would usually happen. But to be locked away?

"When can I leave my room, then?" He asked, almost desperately--his eyes wild. To never explore beyond the kingdom ever again? He couldn't live. And there was only so much time left before he would be forced to give it all up and take the throne.

"Dun' go crazy on me," grunted Cid as he caught the expression of intense panic. "Not forever. But not any time soon either."

"Then when?"

"When ya learn. When ya feel like understandin'."

"Understanding what? Learn what? I know what you're trying to tell me, I get it!" Cloud exclaimed, perhaps snapping with frustration a little too quickly. He couldn't help it. His only stress relief was at stake, and in barely a full year's time he would be crowned! He hadn't much time left to be free and wander, so every second counted.

"No, ya don't. And ya won't. Not until yer own children are born and leavin' ya to worry yerself."

"I'm sorry... Really...! Please, don't do this..."

"Take him. And no more whinin'."

oo00oo00oo

Cloud was swimming about in his bedroom like a caged animal. His heart was racing and his mind was reeling as he considered his escape--unable to settle. The walls felt like they were caving in on him...

His usually comfortable clam bed was suddenly too lumpy and the little artifacts he had collected over the years that sat along the walls he would enjoy contemplating over held no interest for him. The gifts given to him by his many female fans and bridal suitors were forgotten for now--some not even opened. He was too restless for anything more than growling and sharply flicking his tail until he was nearly running into the walls on both sides of the room. It was a horrifying thought to be stuck in his bedroom for who knew how long...

 _How could he do this to me?_ The blond would rage inside his head, arms crossed tight. _This is wrong! I know I worried him, but he shouldn't be worried in the first place! I'm just as fast, as strong, and as skilled as a hunter! I can swim the depths without a problem! I can out-swim and out-think a_ shark! _I'm better then most of the guards!_

The yellow fish huffed, but it was all he could do. In the end, he'd be forced to calm down. Until then, he would rant and grunt and smack his tail until the anger was out of him. Many years ago he had learned to keep his words inside; to scream in his head so his thoughts could not be heard. The reason for this was he had been caught ranting a few times before; once by a sibling and another time by his father--both times ended in a mess. So forever on, he kept to himself with the only sign of his frustrations being when he would slap his tail and roar.

Cloud huffed again, diving onto the clam meat he called a bed, and letting his face hide in the warm, purring muscle. At least his clam seemed sympathetic.

*****

"My poor dear..." Said a soft, female voice nearly ten leagues away. It was a cold, dark, and slow tone of voice--full of false promises and sickeningly sweet. As Cloud laid on his clam, certain he was all alone--dealing with the stress and anger all by himself, his image played across dense, bubbling water held within a clawed bowl. Cold, yellow eyes crinkled as he gave a playfully sympathetic sneer--stretching her tattooed face. The woman possessed a purple tail with many legs covered in suction cups; she was tall, lanky, well-endowed, and her hair was an icy gray she had somehow stiffened into two horns. She hummed to herself and clucked her tongue at the young prince's predicament. "The poor, _poor_ dear... I feel so bad for him. Don't you, Ultros?"

Nearby sat a large, oddly blobulous dark-purple octupus with a crooked mouth and several yellow, misshapen teeth. She smiled at him as he began to laugh and screech.

"HehehehehHAHAHAHAHAA!! HEBBLE hebble..." Ultros grinned as he laughed in a way that seemed like he might be melting--drool fell from the edge of his lips.

Together, they watched as Cloud jumped once more from his bed in a rage and began to curse under his breath while thrashing about.

"Oh, yes... So very bad," Ultros spoke as if he were gargling the water around him. His toxic orange pupils in large, yellow eyes shrank visibly the more he chortled. The sound of his amusement seemed to bounce off the walls like many sharp voices--loud and shrill. Once it finally began to die down his pupils widened back to normal.

"I knew you'd agree." The woman turned back to the pool that sat in the middle of the room. Cloud once again tossed himself over his clam and groaned loudly to himself. Whenever this woman would watch the yellow male, usually it was just a series of anger issues bubbling up one at a time, causing Cloud to go into little fits. Seeing him sad was new, but ever more entertaining. The woman placed a hand on the edge of the bowl--petting it gently.

"Ohh... what's wrong, my little prince?" She asked it, as if Cloud could hear her. He sighed, and then his sky blue eyes turned slowly to the ceiling with both hands at his side and his back arched forward.

"Leon... I envy you. You can go wherever you please and do what you want and..." Cloud closed his eyes with a cringe. "I... I want to know if you suffer problems, too... I want to know what they are. I want... I want to see you again..."

"Leon?" Asked Ultros, who had crawled in close and curled two tails around the bowl to peek in closer. " _Leon... Leon..._ "

"Is it familiar?" The woman asked, quirking a brow at the purple octopus. There was a frown on her red-painted lips.

" _Leon... Leon..._ " Ultros continued to think, his large eyes staring off to the side in thought. "Ah! Leon! Perhaps he means that ugly, half-breed hunter man!"

"Oh," The woman twitched, her frown deepening into a scowl. She began to hiss. "That man. If it is him..."

"Still stinging from when he rejected you, eh?" Ultros chuckled, but only for a moment. He stopped, shrinking back towards the shadows in the wall as her snake-like eyes turned red and fangs appeared. Her hands seemed larger, nails sharpening into claws. "No! I-I didn't mean it! I'm sorry! You deserve better anyway! He-He only said no b-because he had a hit too many to the head! There's no other e-explanation!"

That seemed to calm her down, but only slightly. She had at least halted her approach.

"Y-You're beautiful! Intelligent, wicked, t-talented, and perfect!" Ultros continued, looking almost two sizes smaller as he scrunched as close to the floor and wall as possible.

The woman returned to normal with a satisfied sigh. She looked back to the pool with a smile. "I know."

"Phew..." Ultros sighed in relief, though very quietly. He decided to carefully swim back to her with another wide grin. "Besides... It might not be him. After all, there are more then one Leons in the sea. He didn't specify which."

The woman ignored the octopus, or seemed to, as her eyes drifted back to Cloud.

"... Though if it is him..." The woman tilted her head, smirking as Cloud seemed to blush while murmuring "Leon" again. The blonde prince slapped his face with both hands and told himself firmly to stop acting like an idiot. "This may be to our advantage. Cloud hasn't shown much weakness beyond his temper and tendency to travel alone--he's strong and strong willed, worse than his father, so he wouldn't be easy prey... but perhaps he could be convinced...? Hmm..."

Her voice traveled away from her and all was silent, beyond the occasional soft laughter of Ultros. 

In the mean time, Cloud decided it was time for sleep and turned over where he lay to get comfortable.

"He bores me for now. Let's see what the other sea creatures are doing."


	6. The Merman and The Prince

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter may be a bit wonky, buuuut... it’s also the last chapter to be transferred! I’m starting fresh again after this! Nothing from this point on is going to be from pre-2011. Yippy!

It was the next day after the failed concert, and Sora was alone. His friends spent most of their days doing... whatever they did together without Sora, but the brunet certainly didn't mind. In fact, today in particular he preferred to spend his time exploring on his own rather than playing with a small crowd (and in the case of Roxas and Axel, being a third wheel). His mood for the past few months had been, to say the least, low and kind of depressed. He had been dreaming since he was a pup (after getting over the splendor of the castle and the new environment he had been thrust into, and after moving on from... other things...) of bright, flowing colors and undulating plants swaying in a warm current under a hot, visible sun. His lust for his first home had grown nearly unbearable, and at last he felt compelled to seek it out.

The day was perfect for traveling, it seemed; bright and cloudless, or so said the foggy view of the surface above. There was only this much light on the sunny days.

He considered visiting Leon first... Just in case. His brother wasn't at home that morning, so Sora assumed he was either at work or at his private cove--located where the giant jellyfish roamed, which ensured Leon a lot of privacy from other mers. He had come home last night acting particularly plaintive and quiet, and the last time Leon behaved that way he had shut himself up in the cove for days until Sora went to drag him back.

 _Why Leon likes dealing with those jellyfish rather than occasional mers, I'll never understand..._ Sora thought to himself with a chuckle. _Then again, for a guy who hunts sharks as a side project, jellyfish tentacles probably don't seem like much._

The brunette laughed again and flicked his tail hard against the water. He flew forward like a torpedo the nooks and crannies of the mountains and rocks around the kingdom, and then came to a slow halt as he finally made it close to the edge of the kingdom where the deep ocean began. A league or so away was his old drop-off and the coral reef, but the space between was still as dangerous as it had been when he was a pup--full of sharks, giant eels, poisonous fish, and landslides. No one, not even his friends, knew how badly he wanted to return--enough to slowly stop caring until he was numb to the idea of getting hurt and upsetting someone, as selfish as that was. They would only worry and bother him about it every day after, so he thought it wise to keep it to himself.

_I have to go... I have to. No one could ever understand how it feels to be ripped from where you belong... No one except Leon, but he wouldn't let me leave, either. I hate the kingdom... I hate rocks! I hate the dense layer of water that supposedly 'protects' us and blots out the sun! I miss colors and flowers and clouds of glittering fish... I miss the light and warmth... I'll go crazy if I can't see it again!_

So, off he went--on a blind path without supplies or plans through a desert of rocks, seaweed, and spiny or clawed creatures that would slowly escalate up toward the surface.

oo00oo00oo

"Huh?"

So far, so good. It had been a fairly easy, if not nerve-wracking swim--as there was no place to really hide if a predator came around... When from above came a shadow he had not seen since he was a pup. A creaking came first that caused Sora to jump, and he jerked about looking for something to hide under or behind, before he realized it wasn't an enemy--not technically. Sora gasped as a school of fish swam through his hair and around him to escape. 

"Oh..." Sora stared up at the shadow in awe. "A ship..."

If Sora were crazier, he'd almost think it was the same boat from back then--the one that left him standing on the edge of the drop-off. Either way, back then he was too young and the situation too dangerous. He had a big brother with him to stop him and parents to return to, but his parents were gone and his brother was working... And Sora was an adult.

_It's now or never._

Sora was terrified, excited, and now much too stirred up to turn back. The further he moved toward the ship, the more confident he was that it would be alright. And if not... Well, he would deal with whatever issues he had to as they came.

*****

_"We sail the seas~"_

_"Yo ho, yo ho!"_

_"We sail the seven seas in search--"_

_"Of mermaids and treasures and ladies for hire!"_

It was a silly sea-farer's strum that kept bored spirits high and made laughter ring through the air. The sailors had spent a majority of the time either grunting back and forth, humming roughly, or singing some strange tune. Now that they were close enough to see the speck in the distance that marked land, the crew was relaxing a little more and taking the time to drink a little fresh water and joke. One was juggling oranges before tossing them to a few of his mates to enjoy.

"What are mermaids?" A young man who clearly wasn’t part of the crew asked. His speech was as clear as a bell, and as hansom as he looked. He sat near the bridge at the bottom of the steps as he scratched two floppy, yellow ears. Between his black, booted feet was a pure-bred golden retriever, looking particularly happy to be there. The young man was wearing a white, dressy top with large open collar--large enough to show his collar-bone and the crevice of his firm breasts. He had black slacks and his long, silver hair was tied in a loose ponytail that hung to the small of his back--his bangs having escaped its grip and flowed in the wind like shreds of silk.

The whole crew of the ship seemed to stop and gasp loudly at the young, beautiful male--all wide-eyed and disbelieving. Well, the ones whose faces could be seen anyway... There were a few with beards so large their whole face seemed to be nothing but hair.

"Ye don't know what a mermaid is, eh, laddy?" Began the captain as he walked down the steps from the open bridge, his boots falling heavily onto each plank of wood. He was an average sized man with a rough rasp for a voice and long, purple hair. "There are a lot of tales about mermaids... Some of romance, sweetness, and song... Others of a man's murder."

That only served to pique the silverette's interest more. "What of the more romantic tales?"

The captain smirked, flicking a piece of hair away from his face. It didn't do much, as everyone but the silverette seemed to have their hair weighed down with salt water build up. Just as he was about to speak up again, the captain was interrupted by the only passenger not at all amused by all the tales and singing.

"Don't let Captain Faris fill your head up with nonsense, young lord." He sniffed. He was an older gentleman sporting a well trimmed beard of white and a butler's uniform. Though his face was that of pure seriousness at the moment, his light eyes said warmth and worry. "If you're really so interested in romance, find a bride. Make your own romance."

Captain Faris gave the butler a flat look. "You like ruinin' other peoples' enjoyment, do ye not?"

"What you call ‘enjoyment’ I call being silly. It isn't proper for a lord to be 'silly'."

"Oh, Ansem, let me have some fun!" The silverette stood from his seat, which made the golden dog whine loudly. He leaned down again to pat his head, whispering comfort. "Calm down, Pluto."

"You're turning eight and ten tomorrow; the time for fun has passed. The time for marriage, however--"

"Will come when I fall in-love."

"Master, Riku, love--"

"If I can't love the one I lay with for the rest of my life, I'd rather not lay at all." Riku stated firmly, leaving no room for argument. He turned back to Faris, offering a polite smile. "Go on. Tell me something of these mermaids. What are they?"

Pluto, meanwhile, knew he wouldn't be getting his master's attention again any time soon. So instead, he began to sniff the wooden floors--occasionally skidding as the boat swayed. The sky above was turning gray and dark. However, being a dog, he didn't notice nor care of the possibility of bad weather. His nose was desperately trying to catch on a scent other then water, sea, and sweat--knowing there _must_ be something interesting to poke his face into.

_Ah, yes!_

His nose went off and he panted in glee; there was something new near the front of the boat--something that smelled like fish and... flowers? Almost like exotic perfume. It was delicious, whatever it was, and wafted over the breeze to him like a call--demanding he inspect it. So, Pluto did with a new skip to his trot.

"Mermaids are people that live in a mysterious world of their own, far beneath the water's edge..." Began Faris, his voice low and slow for effect. "Where tha coral reef and tha sea-weed grow thick and wild, and the world is surrounded by the diamond rays of the sun and the rainbow rocks... Where clouds of fish and giant flowers inhabit every corner--and the deeper you go, the more mysteries await ye. That is where the merpeople are said to hide."

"Merpeople? Men and women, then?"

"Aye, lad."

Pluto's nose led him to the end of the bow where none of the sailors were working, near the wooden maiden that saw their ship through many waters. He sniffed and sniffed, then suddenly smiled as wide as a dog could at what he found--giving it a big, wet lick.

"H-Hey...!" A blue eyed wandered chuckled quietly, trying to discretely push the dog away. "You'll get me caught."

All that earned him was another lick to the face, and several more to follow.

"Ha ha ha! Hey, quit that...! What are you, eve--ack! You got my mouth!"

Riku looked to where his dog was licking on something. He was afraid it might be the mossy wood, or maybe some sea water that had found itself on board.

"Pluto!" He called. "Pluto, I can tell you now, whatever you're trying to eat isn't good for you."

The dog didn't listen.

Riku sighed, looking back at Faris. "I apologize, please continue."

"The merpeople are a race of half-fish, half-man," Faris picked up as if there hadn't been an interruption at all. "The merpeople are known best for a few qualities that no normal human can possess, such as singing."

Riku chuckled. "Singing? That's not special. I sing quite often."

"Well, if ye would allow me to do so, I would explain why it's special for these."

Riku silenced himself immediately.

"Thank ye." Faris huffed, then went on. "When you hear a mermaid sing... it's like listening to the chorus of many bells. As if emotion could have a sound, they display their feelings in a way only out-ranked by angels."

"Ah... So, it must be a very lovely sound."

"Indeed, it is. Only a few folks have ever heard the song of a mermaid, and those same few spent their lives searching for it--desperate to hear the call again."

"What else...?"

"Captain." Interrupted one of the sailors, ending their story time. "A heavy storm is on the way."

"The rest is a time meant be for later." Faris said, disappointed. "I'll give ye a little better detail, then."

Riku nodded. "Yes, thank you." He turned to Ansem, who had looked nothing less then absolutely irritated at the whole situation. "Well, while we still have time... You said earlier you had a gift for me?"

"I also said you won't be opening it until tomorrow the last time you brought it up."

"Ansem, just let me see it." Riku turned his green eyes to something very large pinned down to the middle of the boat. It was covered in a thick tarp to protect whatever it was from the unforgiving winds and sea water. "If it really is as delicate as you say, I should see it now. Just in case."

Ansem only laughed, his voice sounding a little more cheerful. He gave his young lord a warm smile from under his beard. "My lord Riku, how your attention turns so fast. First you're begging to have your gift, and then you're concerned about how to drive the ship--and when you're denied a chance at that, you want to play with your dog. Then when you lose the toy you were tossing, you want stories. Now that your stories are gone, you want to pester me about your gift again."

"Which means we'll just keep coming back to the subject until you give in, I suppose," Riku said casually. He was a man whose attention was everywhere--never one to stay bored for too long. He was the type who could find interest in mold, if only for something to do.

"You're acting like a spoiled child, my lord."

"I am a spoiled child, my dear butler. I like to think of it as an endearing quality."

Ansem laughed again, though he quickly frowned after. "Fine." He turned to some of the sailors. "If you would, please. Remove the tarp."

Most of the sailors looked rather angry at that, as if Ansem were stupid to be more concerned with a statue then the skies that were now so black. It was almost dark enough to mistake for night, though the winds had only picked up enough to bloat the sails and the waves were only moving a little faster then they were before--so far. All were still bad omens. However, despite the voiceless protesting--and the cursing under their breath, they did remove the tarp all the same--

Revealing a large statue of Riku himself, standing tall with his knee bent on a stone and one hand on the hilt of a sword. It might have been flattering, as it did depict his face perfectly, but the outfit itself was... Well, best put—

"It looks so... poofy. Especially the pants." Riku coughed. The prince-ling smiled as convincingly as he could for Ansem. He was glad that the present was received now instead of later, as this was a little embarrassing to look at. Even some of the sailors were laughing. "Eh hmm, I mean... Thank you, Ansem. It was very... very thoughtful."

Ansem certainly seemed proud of it, looking at the statue with a twinkle in his eye. "I think it brings out a more regal nature in you."

Riku coughed again, blushing pink. But not from flattery.

*****

"Hee hee..." Pluto was still sampling the face of the odd new comer, who was hanging from the edge of the bow. His tail was hanging down below him, gently tapping the ship. "My name is Sora, what's yours?"

Pluto only barked, which made Sora jump--nearly falling off the boat. It also filled him with a sense of panic, hoping no one had heard this new creature he had never seen before. In fact, he had never seen anything as strange as the things on this boat. Especially the dog. But what really caught his attention was what the humans walked on, noticing they had normal torsos... But the oddest bottom half.

_Are those legs? Is that what 'legs' look like?_

Whatever they were, they were definitely not tails. Perhaps not for swimming at all. Sora merely assumed that they couldn't swim just like he could never walk, which made him scared. If any of these people fell in, they'd be doomed! To travel on water without a means to swim must be horrifying...

"Pluto!"

_Oh no..._

"Pluto, what are you doing over here?"

Sora ducked, but didn't realize his fingers were still curled over the deck. He was too scared to even think of releasing his grip and simply falling back to the water, but he was so high that might hurt anyway. He closed his eyes, hoping whoever it was wouldn't notice him.

"Pluto, stop trying to eat.. the ship..."

It was the silver-haired prince. While the sailors concentrated on the upcoming storm, the first drops of rain already pitter-pattering on the deck, and Ansem was busy re-tarping the statue... Riku had decided to finally check on what his dog had found so interesting. He had originally figured it must have been moss or broken wood, maybe even metal--all things bad for any living thing from land to eat or lick... When he noticed the struggling grip.

Riku moved to sit on his knees, legs spread, as quickly and quietly as he could. His arm suddenly snaked down and grabbed Sora by his upper arm once he was sure he had a good hold on his position.

The little fish squeaked as he was grabbed, his head instantly jumping forward out of instinct to see what had grabbed him, and his other hand moving to try and loosen the stronger one holding him tight.

Sapphire blue suddenly met with aquamarine; their faces only a few inches apart when Sora suddenly froze.

Compared to the silverette, Sora looked rather plain--or so the mer thought. One had porcelain skin, the other a caramel tan. Though Sora's eyes could be compared to the sky, Riku's were as beautiful as the green sea. The prince, with his perfect hair and skin and teeth that showed between kiss-pink lips, was a dream brought to life. They stared at each other, unblinking.

_He's... He's so... beautiful..._

Riku was the first to move again after catching the hidden stowaway; he gently caressed Sora's cheek and down his neck, which caused the little mer to loose a sound like a purr. His thumb played with the plush of the brunette's bottom lip when it traveled back up and pressed.

"Who are you...?" He asked softly, sliding some of Sora's drenched hair away from his face to better look at him.

"I..." Sora began, gulping nervously. "I'm..." It was definitely too soon, and most likely not a wise choice... But something compelled Sora to answer in a way that even surprised himself--

"I'm yours..."

Riku's eyes went wide, but he seemed eager. Sora's heart was thumping wildly with excitement for the first time in his life, almost painfully pounding against his ribs. The prince gripped the back of Sora's head, his salty hair tangling around his fingers, causing the brunette to make a lovely gasp. The silverette leaned in, darting for Sora's willing mouth...

But it wouldn't happen. Sora was suddenly flung from the ship and Riku tossed backwards onto the deck. The storm roared loudly over head, lightening striking the side of the ship.

All Sora could see was fire as he fell back into the ocean. He hit the water with a violent splash that burned his back, but he ignored the pain--which was easy to do as panic and adrenaline quickly over-took his system.

"No!" Sora screamed as he broke the surface of the water once again and saw the bright orange lights of fire encompassing the ship. " **No!** "

The brunette flew back to the boat and tried to climb back to the deck. Lightening blasted across the sky in purple rays, thunder booming loud in his sensitive ears. It was as if the heavens were mocking him. Sora's bright blue eyes scanned over the wreckage, despaired to see the ship half gone from the sudden attack. What was left of the boat was smothered in flames. He instantly dived back into the water, jumping several times in and out of the water as he searched around the destruction for the male he had just met.

A smaller rowboat full of men was floating on the rough waters far on the other side, where Faris, Ansem, and several crew members were still safe.

"Lord Riku!" Ansem called desperately, unable to see the young prince. "Riku!"

"Where are ye matey?" Faris called beside him. The oars were in his strong hands, powerful arm muscles keeping the boat as steady as possible to avoid capsizing. Several people, including Riku, were still missing--the men on the little rower were mostly unconscious.

Sora swam and dodged around broken planks and falling debris, just narrowly escaping the sudden fall and crash of the crow's nest. It was then he saw Riku, once again coming back up from under the water after taking his dive to safety from the wooden tower.

"Ah!" Sora gasped, eyes wide with worry and hope. The prince was burned, that much was obvious even from the brunette's distance. However, Riku was still clinging to a broken plank. Sora grinned, happy to see him alive... Then screaming and dashing forward as he watched him fall down into the deep, his grip finally lost. The brunette shot under the water, just catching the falling prince before he was down too far, and dragging him back to the surface once again. Sora held him tight around his waist with one arm as he swam with his other.

"Please... please live..." Sora begged, his breath soft and ragged in Riku's ear. The prince's once long hair was partially gone, some of the ends looking black. "Please... we just met. You have to live..."

"Riku!"

Sora heard the call of humans, but it was drifting away. The brunette turned to look in the direction of the calls, but his vision was blocked as the ship finally turned sideways and fell down. Instead of trying to get Riku to the humans, he decided it'd be safer to take him to the shore himself... carefully edging the prince away from the carnage and toward the land he could just barely see in the distance.

_It's far... But I can do this. Just be okay..._

oo00oo00oo

Sora gently dabbed Riku's burns with a sponge. It was soft against his raw skin, gently washing away dirt and splinters. They laid together in the sands of the world of humans just beyond the reef where Sora was tending to Riku as much as he could while he waited for the humans to catch up.

Riku, luckily, didn't seem as if he had received too much damage. His clothes were torn to shreds, his boots water logged, and his hair was only half the length it once was from when it had been burned, though it was still long enough to wrap over his neck and cling to his bottom lip. The brunette gently moved his silver locks aside, freeing his face and throat. There were burns on his skin, but none seemed too serious. Scarring was definitely doubtful.

Sora sighed in relief as he looked him over.

"You're lucky... Riku." Sora said, chuckling at using the man's name for the first time. "That's your name, right?"

The mer moved a hand to gently cup one of Riku's porcelain cheeks, running the tips of his fingers down his sharp jawline. He continued to smile, leaning forward and kissing the human's forehead.

"Please wake up soon," He murmured sweetly as his touch traveled further down to the prince's chest. Riku's skin was warm, his heart beating beneath the palm. "Please..."

Sora's soft voice seemed to seep into Riku's unconscious mind, slowly waking him up. The prince lifted a hand to take the one Sora had pressed so lovingly over his heart, gripping it tight. The brunette jumped from suddenly being grabbed, but didn't pull away... especially not as Riku's sea-green eyes caught on his brilliant jewel-blue again.

"... It's you..."

"Riku..." Sora whispered, biting his lip.

Riku brought Sora's hand to his face, giving the palm a slightly sloppy kiss. He was still very out of it... Despite that, he smiled up at Sora, taking his face in his free hand. "Who are you...?"

"... I..." Sora began, the odd sensation from before bubbling up in his stomach again. It was like his insides were twisting around pleasantly, or perhaps like lots of wriggling worms energetically playing around in his gut. He took a breath. "I'm Sora..."

"Sora..." Riku replied, touching Sora's lips again like he had before. His thumb was playing with the brunette's bottom lip, petting the soft flesh with the pad of his finger. "You saved me... did you not?"

"Yes... I couldn't see you die," Sora answered honestly. He hadn't noticed when he began to lean forward to the prince, nor did he notice when the prince began to slip his hand on the back of his head again... At least not until his hair was gripped just like before, causing him to moan from the ticklish sensation. He was being pulled down for the kiss they had missed, the dolphin more then willing to accept it this time... But was forced to stop once more as he heard voices floating from down the bank. He bit his lip again, looking down at Riku. Sora touched his cheek again. "I have to go... I promise I'll come back!"

"W-Wait..." Riku tried, but his body was too weak. Sora was slipping back into the water, swimming away from the shore with all the speed of a missile. In the mean time, the weak prince struggled to sit up, despite his killing head ache and aching joints. "Sora...? Sora...!"

"Master Riku!"

Riku turned his head, confused. There was no sign of the brunette, not even footsteps to indicate he had been there. When he turned his gaze to where his name was being called, he saw his long time friend and servant rushing to his side along the beach.

"Master Riku, thank the heavens!" Ansem immediately gathered the prince into his arms, helping him to stand. "You're injured! We must get you home at once!"

Ansem turned to the sailors that had made it back to land, helping in the search for Riku. "Help me carry him, and be careful--he's hurt!"

"No.. no.. A-Ansem, I need... I need to find him..." Riku said, pushing from Ansem with one hand as the other grabbed his head. He was looking down the beach again and toward the water, calling as loud as he could "Sora! Sora!"

"Sora?" Ansem asked, shaking his head. The sailors came to his side, forcibly picking the prince up and moving to carry him from the beach. "I think he may be delirious... He might have hit his head, he does look to have a headache. We'll take him to the palace then call the doctor. Everything will be okay, your highness..."

Just beyond the beach, much too far for the frantic Ansem or the sailors hauling the prince away to notice, Sora was watching--carefully hidden behind one of the many peaking rocks along the shallow waters. He felt his heart tear a little as Riku called his name, in a voice begging him to come out of hiding... But Sora knew there was just too many differences between them. He feared Riku might not accept him, being something very much not the same species. As the prince was carried away, Sora waved to him good bye; his eyes stinging painfully. He dipped back into the water as Riku disappeared from sight beyond the edge of the beach.

"... I'll come back, I promise." Sora whispered to himself sadly, not even sure how he would accomplish that.


	7. Family

Cloud felt like clawing at the walls. It hadn't even been a day so far, and already the Prince was practically thrumming with anxiety. He swished back and forth from one end of the room to the other, so fast he was a blur. His "grounding" seemed like it would be a nuisance to his freedom, certainly, but he at least thought he might be allowed to travel about the castle after a few hours' confinement. No mer should ever be trapped in a small space against their will for longer--it affected their life-span, their health, and most immediately could cause panic attacks. 

There wasn't even a tiny window in his room for gazing at the world outside, though that might have made it worse in Cloud's case. And he couldn't slip out unnoticed, as there were guards at the door every hour.

_What if I knocked the guard out and dragged him inside? No, they’d notice he wasn’t there... Could I create a distraction big enough to get them to leave? No, and even if I could they’d be so worried I was gone..._

Cloud slapped his tail in frustration against the wall as he made another pass, now flying in circles.

The curtain at the door rustled. Cloud paused in his frustrated racing to behold his mother entering the room. She was a blonde, like himself, who wore most of her hair up into a tight pin and let her chest-length bangs hang in front of her face. Her eyes were blue, her skin cream, and her tail was a mute orange. She swam to his clam and sat on the edge—beautifully smiling at Cloud as she pat the meat beside her, indicating he should sit.

Silently, Cloud obeyed—Landing beside his mother with a soft frown.

“Care to tell me what happened during the concert, my love?” Queen Quistis asked in a polite, somewhat amused tone.

“... I was doing what I usually do...” Cloud admitted in a quiet voice.

“Wandering around the places even the guard aren’t allowed to swim to?”

Cloud nodded hesitantly.

“I would think you’d be smart enough to stay on the day of such a big event, just in case.”

“I completely forgot the concert... I was in a hurry to leave.”

Quistis nodded her lovely head. “You’ve always been a wanderer... I imagine you would work as a Historian if you had the choice; traveling the seas, gathering artifacts... Or you would just make your own adventures, following the current or the wild families.”

Cloud looked away to the wall with a sigh.

“I’ll force myself to accept my position here... But,” Cloud turned back to his mother as he spoke. He leaned in, making sure to keep his gaze low so he looked more vulnerable. He knew his mother had a weak spot for him, and his father had a weakness for her. “But... I still have a year. I just want to live! It’s like my tail is chained down by a heavy weight when I’m here, and I want to know what it’s like to be free—even for a little while.”

Quistis ran a hand through her pup’s hair and pressed their foreheads together.

“Perhaps we could arrange something,” she said problematically. “I’ll talk to your father. Even your parents, the both of us, had the chance to be civilians for a while.”

“Thank you,” Cloud whispered with a smile.

“No guarantees, though,” Quistis released Cloud as she replied. She waved goodbye and blew her son a playful kiss as she drifted away and out the door.

Cloud watched her go with a new ray of hope.

oo00oo00oo

Sora twirled the little blossom between his fingers with a lovesick sigh. Above him, the sun was bright and clear—welcoming him with warmth. The brunette laid with his stomach against an algae covered rock; his back was delightfully toasting and his tail was swishing slowly up and down. He was surrounded by shimmering schools of curious fish (some would tickle his face and tail as they swam about), flowing rainbows of anemone, trees upon trees of coral, and everything he had been yearning for since he was forced to leave it as a child... and yet, he felt lost. 

_Am I just shallow?_ Sora wondered as he pet the little flower in his hands. _Here I am... I’m home. At last. And yet... all I can think about is Riku..._

Sora brought the little blossom to his face and played it across his cheek as he hummed to himself and looked toward where he knew the shore to be. Where Riku lived...

_I promised I’d be back for him, but how? Maybe I could get his attention somehow? Would he panic if he saw my tail...?_

“There you are,” came a sudden, familiar voice. 

Sora squeaked and nearly dropped the flower. He jerked around to look at his brother swimming casually toward him. Sora straightened from the rock and smiled awkwardly as Leon came to meet him.

“How... How did you—“

“I asked around when I couldn’t find you. I have a new haul today, and I know you like inspecting it with me,” Leon didn’t sound angry, at least. “When people told me they saw you headed to the barrier... I could kind of guess what happened next.”

“Oh,” Sora replied sheepishly. He looked down at the sandy ground... sand. Another thing he missed that seemed less-than important now. _I worried my brother, and probably my neighbors, and here I am... not even that interested anymore._

Sora stared up toward the shimmering waves above. The sun seemed to smile at him... his very bones felt warmer under the star’s piercing rays, and yet—all he could think of was Riku.

Leon didn’t grab him or try to drag him back, or even lecture him. Instead, his brother gently placed a hand on Sora’s shoulder and squeezed.

“I should have known you’d come back one day,” Leon said softly. “You’re a tropical swimmer, not a deep sea swimmer...”

“...” Sora closed his eyes. Leon sounded... sad. Regretful.

“I miss it here, too.”

Sora looked back to his older brother with that admission. “You do?”

“Of course I do,” Leon swam around his brother and ran his fingers across the shy anemone. They fluttered away and curled into themselves quickly. “How could I not? How could anyone who knew this place...?”

Sora remained silent. Leon drifted back to his side and took the flower from Sora; he placed it behind the dolphin’s ear, which earned him a chuckle.

“Where we are may be safer, and it is, but... I should have known better than to think you could live without our home forever. You’re at an age where you’re the most restless...” Leon smiled softly as a family of small, silver fish danced around them. “A mer is happiest when they’re in the place their heart belongs.”

“Where does your heart belong?”

“Wherever my brother is. And perhaps, in the future, wherever you and my mate are.”

Sora grinned and rushed forward to hug Leon tight. He squeezed his brother’s scarred body with a sigh.

“So, not a place? It’s okay if your heart is a person?”

“Places, things... how much do they really mean in the end if you can’t be with the people you love?”

“Ha. You’re a sap, Leon.”

“Says the mer caught almost every day singing mushy love songs.”

Leon hugged Sora back. They enjoyed the embrace beneath the clear sunlight, surrounded by color and familiar comfort for several seconds before parting; Leon took Sora’s hand, just like he used to when the boy was young.

“Come on. We’ll come back again soon... together. No more reef visits alone, okay?”

Sora nodded. “Okay.”

Leon turned his tail and the brothers began to swim toward and down the deep edge of the drop-off. 

“... Leon?” Sora asked as they scaled the floor of the cliff.

“Yeah?”

“What are... humans like?”

Leon looked back at Sora with a quirk of his brow before he faced forward again.

“Why do you ask now?”

“Well, why do you... study them?”

It wasn’t the first time Sora had been curious about humans. He used to ask about them a lot more when he was small.

“The King feels they’re a dangerous enemy,” Leon began. “They are dangerous, mind, but he feels their entire species are evil. I’m not so naive as to think all humans are bad... that’s just stupid. But... you know how the king wants us to have a purpose, and being a Historian means I can travel around—do what I need to do.”

“Kill sharks?”

“... Not all sharks. They’re just predators—animals... I only kill the ones who openly attack people.”

“You’re not bitter at them after... mom and dad?”

“Sharks I don’t think have the ability to think and feel like the rest of us. I know they feel pain, but emotion seems to be beyond them. How can they know what they did in that case?”

“True. I’m kind of glad to hear you feel that way.”

“Did you see another ship on the way to the reef?”

Sora almost choked, but just managed to tear out an awkward, “Y-Yeah... How did you know?”

“You only ask when I get a new haul or something. Not too many artifacts out here, so I assumed a ship.”

Sora nodded and sighed. “Yeah... I saw a ship. It was beautiful.” Sora didn’t really mean the ship itself, though.

“They are artfully done...” Leon tossed Sora a playful smirk. “Thinking of becoming a Historian? Sick of being everyone’s music box?”

“Maybe. Or maybe I’m just growing up?”


End file.
